Elon Musk’s increasing sway over U.S. governance has faced another judicial hurdle.
On Monday, the **Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC)** initiated legal action against the **Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)**, as reported in a [statement on the organization’s website](https://epic.org/press-release-epic-democracy-forward-and-federal-worker-sue-doge-for-illegal-seizure-of-personal-data-from-treasury-personnel-systems/). The suit claims that under Musk’s direction, DOGE has “illegally compelled” the **Office of Personnel Management** and the **Treasury Department** to surrender vast quantities of digital information regarding U.S. citizens to “unauthorized, untrained personnel.” EPIC terms this incident as **”the largest data breach in American history.”**
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[**DOGE staffer resigns after racist posts uncovered. Elon Musk might bring him back.**](https://mashable.com/article/doge-resignation-racist-posts-elon-musk-poll)
This lawsuit follows a surge of reports in recent weeks suggesting what some characterize as a potential **coup** of the U.S. government. Musk and his team—including individuals as young as [19 years old](https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2025/02/10/musk-doge-state-department-surrogate/)—**gained access** to a system housing sensitive personal data about government employees, including home addresses, Social Security numbers, and birth dates. Further investigations, alongside [reporting by Mashable’s Rebecca Ruiz](https://mashable.com/article/elon-musk-doge-access-data), have sparked worries about the risks of a politically motivated group misusing this data.
This lawsuit represents just one of multiple legal efforts aimed at curbing Musk and DOGE. Earlier this week, a coalition of **labor unions** also [filed a lawsuit](https://news.bloomberglaw.com/tech-and-telecom-law/unions-sue-to-block-musk-teams-access-to-student-worker-data) against Musk, contesting his team’s access to delicate student and worker data.
With increasing legal challenges, this conflict surrounding data privacy and governmental authority is far from concluding.